18'2 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



M 



in 



lor ii in- iImw arts me*»ei*oiy, hravy 5 o* niopwii. 



Sprightlinto* viva* , «nd j <>us i *rgy, should be the 

 prevailing characteristics in every goed bird. 



Fancy bircte, so called, are attended with much trouble 

 __ rearing, and also much disappointment. I will brietl 

 indicate tl^ intrinsic merits of a prize-bird, many ot 

 which are exhibited at private "clubs" in London, and 

 the province^ once or more yearly. I would observe, 

 that the plumage of these birds is the grand desideratum, 

 their sonic being a minor consideration. 



A good fancy bird must have a clean cap ; that is, 

 the crown of Ins head, defined by a horizontal line at 

 the level of his eyes and beak, must be of a clean yellow 

 or white, — in no respect broken or spotted with foul 

 feathers. One single foul feather renders him imper- 

 fect ; though it is right to acknowledge, that such ex- 

 treme purity is rarely met with. His back, wings, and 

 tail, must also be equally free from yellow or white 

 feathers. To make his beauty remarkable, he should be 

 finely mottled on the back, and of a fine clear yellow 

 all below the breast. 



These requirements are as essential in a hen as in the 

 male bird. There are two names given, to distinguish 

 the colour by. The one are called" mealy ;" the others 

 Jonque birds. The former have their crowns, and all 

 below their breasts, of a clean white or pale yellow ; the 

 latter, of a deep yellow. No good breeder ever pairs 

 two mealy and two Jonque birds together. A skilful 

 eye would immediately detect any offspring resulting 

 from such a union. 



Male birds, finely spangled, as those I allude to, should 

 be paired with a "mealy" hen, — for this reason ; theyoun^ 

 of all birds mostly take after the father in their feathers. 

 Many of my readers will smile, when I tell them that it 

 is a practice to have a pattern bird, drawn on card-board 

 and highly coloured, winch is regarded as a specimen to 

 breed by. Any failure in coming up to the "standard," 

 causes a breeder infinite eliagrin ! 



i fore quitting this subject, J would remark that, 

 however first-rate fancy birds may be, no entire de- 

 pendence can lie placed on thdr offspring being equally 

 per ■ - t Blemishes, of some kind, frequently appear. 

 On the other hand, two birds, of little comparative value, 

 often produce a very fine breed. It is amusing to watch 

 the proprietors of these prize birds, after the "public 

 annual exhibition "of them is over. Every bird has 

 his ca< enclosed in an air-tight bag, and is carried 

 away with as much mystery as was formerly attached to 

 the Delphic Oracle. Their mistresses appear to have 

 more to do with them even than their masters ; and 



convey them away with the most solemn pomp of cir- 

 cum i nee. 



I have already remarked, that these forced birds are 

 valuable for their " beauty " only. They are the sport 

 Of every breath of air; and, like hothouse plants, must 

 be xiciJantly tended or they die. Nature shakes her 

 head at such doings, and approveth them not. So do I, 

 ben a humble follower in her ladyship's train. In the 



ir lt ,r r ° f i?- lge bird ~ S ive ME v <>x—d praterca nihil/ 

 }\ ULiaui h Xtw Road, Hammersmith. 



O 



ca.se, win , it it 1 a tne expectations ot the inventor, 

 will enable us to obtain a bouquet from the Himalayas, 

 New Zealand, as fresh as if gathered from our own 

 Irden only yesterday. /. Little, Langholm. 



Out-door Treatment of Nymphaa cwr»ka. — During the 

 summer of 1849 my plant, a seedling, was planted in a 

 tub, and placed about 10 inches beneath the surface of 

 the water in an r uncovered tank. It withstood the 

 severity of the following winter, and made fresh leaves 

 next May. Last year it grew luxuriantly, but did not 

 Hower. It lost its leaves from frost last October. I 

 examined it yesterday ; the caudex is quite plump and 

 healthy, and I expect it to flower this season. It must 

 be borne in mind, however, that the tank in which it 

 grows occupies a semicircular recess, and is screened 

 from the north, east, and west by a wall 12 feet in height. 

 A terrace walk passes the front of the recess which is 

 open to the south. It will be seen, therefore, that the 

 plant has a favourable situation. In the same tank I 

 have also Limnocharis Humboldtii, Agapanthus umbel- 

 latus, Villarsia nymphseoides, Aponogeton distachyon, 

 ( 'alia sethiopica, Mimulus rivularis, A corus Calamus, and 

 the white and yellow Water Lilies. All these flourish 



A thermometer whose bulb rested on the 



Lily cultivated iu this country with su< 

 artificial heat being applied, perhaps von «Sb*!L 

 liberty I take in offering 'aTopiEaT KL?^* 

 springs in various countries ; and having aeen\f* ** 

 some years since, one in constant use h 

 stream about the temperature of 1 10° when nrst^ 

 from the ground, where would be the dinieuhv T* 

 veying this water into a tank (of course with a 

 roof) of any size that might be required for thklS* 



**, 



GQQBtltfc 



plant ? About 20 miles from the above city 

 mines, which could not be worked without the 

 employment of a steam-engine to clear them bZ! ^ 

 water, which I saw running to waste, by the side ?i !w! 

 road, smoking hot. Might not this be conveyed iDr 

 reservoir for the same purpose \ Perhaps the * 

 idea may have engaged the attention of some of 

 scientific readers ; and, if so, will occasion a more t,m. 

 fi table dissertation than many subjects of less intii 

 (at least, in the opinion of gardeners) which occupvfo! 

 attention of the public. />., March 17. [\V e ha 

 formerly pressed the value of their waste water uw[ 

 the attention of its owners ; but, we fear, with Irak 

 success.] ' ^ 



Market Gardening round London. 



l<m 



satisfactorily. 



tub indicated 38° when ice an inch thick covered the 

 surface. I placed it in the same situation this morn- 

 inir, and it registered 41°. My supply of water 

 is by no means constant, the crown of the plant being 

 sometimes no more than 3 inches below the surface ; but 

 the depth at which such plants should be placed is best 

 regulated by the length of the leaf-stalks. I consider 

 10 inches a very good depth, I should like to try many 

 of our stove aquatics out of doors, more especially 

 Victoria Regia. I imagine that they are in reality not 

 half so tender as people expect. An aquatic is not sub- 

 jected to extreme heats and colds, like a common plant ; 

 the temperature of the water being more uniform than 

 that of the air. Edward Morse, Albury Park, March 8. 



The Spanish Uiestitut. — 1 am desirous of inquiring of 

 those who have had any experience in the quality of 

 Spanish Chestnut timber, what may be its real character ; 

 a writer in your Paper, about a year ago, having pro- 

 nounced it (in opposition to older writers) to be worth- 

 less. Considering it to be, upon the whole, perhaps the 

 most beautiful tree (of the larger class) that will thrive 

 in Britain, I should certainly much regret hearing that 

 it had been proved to have little other value than as an 

 ornament. May we hope that the quick-growing foreign 

 Oaks (Turkey, Italian, American) will possess any other 

 recommendation to the planter's notice % W. IT. [We 

 trust that, in answering this question, our correspondents 

 will be kind enough to limit their reply to what is within 

 their own knowledge, and to instances in which they 

 are certain that Spanish Chestnut was used.] 



What has become of the Bees this year? — I get a 

 month's earlier amusement from my little garden than from the ground it girths 19 inches 

 most of my neighbours by growing the varieties of 

 Crocus in abundance. Now, generally speaking, the 

 enjoyment of this flower (beautiful as it is) is much in- 

 creased by its attracting the honey bees, and so giving 

 life to the garden. This year, however, though my 

 flowers are going off, and have bloomed abundantly, 



receiving "costs out of pocket. 



TiPnXi K ; 7 . P° cke *- Homoeopathic though a 



E?n.V ,yet m f W vf kIy despondence, m the arcregate 



SSrf™ Ch r ? ; amP l C jq 5%» d ° ,le * in the Cf>,um *s <* the 

 wor ?W g?"***' but "*««««» must have her perfect 



Home Correspondence. 



Spr / Flowers.— I observe that the attention of your 

 correspondents is attracted to the culture of that delight- 

 ful little spring flower the Hepatica. I would ask you 

 to say whether you do not consider that failure in the 

 growth ot this plant is not often occasioned by the crown 

 ot the plant being buried in the soil. Whilst on this 

 subject I would take the liberty of calling the attention 

 of your readers to a bulb which does not seem to be 

 much known, viz., Corbularia (Narcissus) tenuifolius, 

 and which I think decidedly superior to C. bulbocodium, 

 from its earlier period of bloom and hardiness. I have 

 tod it in flower in the open border for nearlv a month 

 past, and the bed is now quite a picture ; it is a fit com- 

 panion for the charming Trichonema bulbocodium, a 

 perfectly hardy bulb, now finely in bloom in a bed ad- 

 joining the Corbularia. JRuslicus. 



The Bouquet Trade in New York {see p. 150). — Your 

 correspondent " C. B. D." has called in question the 

 correctness of my friend's statement respecting the 

 bouquet trade in New York. Never having been there 

 myself, I cannot, of course, speak as to the number or 

 capabilities of the nurseries and greenhouses in that 

 city. It is not stated, however, that the flowers used 

 ohvNew-year's morning were all from one greenhouse, 

 or f^ni one establishment ; indeed, in a former com- 

 munication, my friend mentions that the inhabitants of 

 New YorXspend annually a very considerable sum in 

 the purchasvof cu t flowers. People seldom tell un- 

 truths gratuity, and, as my correspondent could 

 have no object ^atever in deceiving me as to the 

 amount of business Xno by his employer, I can have 

 no doubt of the corrects of what he states, 

 letter was a private one, an 



have the most remote idea mat an y part of it would 

 appear in prmu My object in ^ an extract t() 

 the Gardener* Chronicle was partly tolw the 



4a04a 4Vt*« il/Mft^MM ±1* « _*.— 1 . ' 111 S. 



_ - - l 



simple" of a postage *to* 4 , shoufd alwSyBTcc^pinyV^ I haVe n0t ^ a Sin S le bee U P° n them > n0r > ind " eed > 



quest , asked. This, on tuo principle of what the lawyers call u P on anv otner flower. Can any of your correspondents 

 recenrimr «*»t. „„ t «# _^ „ . ... .A . account for this, or confirm the lazy habit of the insect 



this year? An Original Subscriber, Bath. [Our bees are 

 as active as usual.] 



Twigs of Spruce Fir. — The ground around the trees 

 is strewed with these, especially after a breeze of wind. 

 I have not seen the Spruce Fir affected in this way 

 until within two or three months past. Scotch Firs, in 

 this neighbourhood (Forfarshire) have suffered very 

 much of late years from the Hylurgus piniperda. P. O. 

 [There is nothing in the twigs with which we have been 

 favoured to indicate the cause of the circumstance 

 alluded to. They look as if they might be growths beyond 

 the gallery of the Hylurgus ; but we And no evidence 

 of it. Can squirrels be at the bottom of the mischief ?] 



Importance of agitating the Air of Glass-houses. — The 

 account of the culture of the Victoria regia, in your 

 Paper, has suggested the idea that the same principles 

 may be employed to the advantage of all plants requiring 

 close shelter at times ; so that, instead of suffering as they 

 do now, from the imperfect and ill- understood modes of 

 ventilation infuse, they may be as happy and comfortable 

 as the Victoria, which refuses to live unless the water 

 is in a state of constant motion. I have little doubt 

 that all exotic plants would be much more healthy, if 

 their atmosphere were similarly gently agitated, without 

 a renewal of the air, which though, no doubt, beneficial, 



I observe u*U 

 this heading, at p. 149, the following sentence with 

 reference to the conveyance of Strawberries to tW 

 London market : « The supply to the shops is conveyed 

 to them by Welsh or Irishwomen, who carry theaoa 

 their heads ; these women being paid for every jownet 

 they make, earn a good deal of money at this ocami. 

 tion, in which they often walk 48 miles a day." SureU 

 there must be a wonderful mistake here. Being myself 

 somewhat fond of walking, I frequently travel in tins 

 way 20 miles a day, which I find quite sufficient for a 

 continuance of some days, without carrying a basket on 

 my head. The ladies, however, alluded to by your 

 correspondent, if they walked fast would have to wdk 

 12 hours' daily, which would allow no time for food or 

 resting. I have looked through your last Paper, ex- 

 pecting to find that your correspondent would o*v& 

 corrected what I supposed to be a mistake ; but I find 

 no notice of the circumstance. Having read with 

 pleasure the articles hitherto published under this head, 

 I trust that the public may have some explanation on 

 this point ; for feeling, as I am sure many others also 

 do, that they are exceedingly useful and interestisf 

 papers, I should be sorry that an error of this sort 

 should be the cause of the losing that attention which 

 has hitherto been paid to them. Pedes. 



The Deodar. — Your correspondent's inquiries con- 

 cerning this Conifer have induced me to measure oae 

 that was planted in my flower-garden 1 1 years ago, ud 

 I find that it is 1 9 feet to the end of the last yetfi 

 shoot (but of that about a foot is still hanging down), 

 and the length of its longest boughs is 8 feet ; at 3 fed 



For some years it 



was supported by stakes, but a perfect straightnesa i 

 stem has by no means been in consequence obtained ; 

 nor do I think that the somewhat unsightly twists that 



' 



are to be seen in more than one part of it will for 



I have another 



years, if ever, cease to be apparent. 

 Deodar planted, five years ago, by the side of a walk ui 

 a wood. This is already 10 feet high ; from U* 

 greater protection it enjoys, it will probably acquire 

 a straighter growth. The sod of this country * 

 little favourable for the growth of trees -stone 

 brash, clay, and rock, constituting the substrata. 17. H. 



-Your correspondent "J. H." says— "I have » 



great many plants of the Deodar, some 12 feet lugd> 

 which show the greatest disinclination to hold up their 

 heads,'' and you remark, "we should cut out w» 

 plants." May I suggest that a Deodar 12 feet hj» 

 much more easily cut out than replaced, and that ii 

 would be worth while at least to try what can be dw 

 towards straightening it before cutting it down ? 1 vm 

 like to know whether the plants in question are crowjj 

 or have plenty of room. Judging from the des J n P^ 

 I should imagine that they have no tree or shrub ot 

 8 or 1 feet of them, but that they have ma «yjf /^ 

 in their neighbourhood. In this case the 1*°?*.^ 

 throw out long lateral shoots close to the ground, w 

 thicken the stem at that part, but the leader runsf 

 very fast to a great height, with few lateral snoots, ^ 



6 rare that the courflM 



would suggest is contrary to custom ; but ob ^ ve ^ 

 I only suggest it in lieu of cutting down the tree, 

 off the head where it begins to bend ; choose tn 

 side branch for a leader, and shorten the nei i ^ 

 ins side branches. You may also, for a win ^ ^ 



consequently, is weak. I am aw 



the new leader to an upright stick, just to nej 

 straightening. Then cut oft' close to the stem^ » 

 one-half of the thick mass of lower branches, in ^ 

 that the tree may be driven to throw out sUoo» 

 above, which will thicken and strengthen tne rr_ 



portion of the stem, and probably may ^ 



* U - . y Iff the tree 

 maining lower branches), you will find tnat ^ 



(during which time you may gradually 



The 

 J youn - friend could not 



taste for flowers — the somewhat primitive "N«> w Ycors- 

 day customs of our friends in the good city «[% 



mowing 



York 



not essential to plants, as well as to animals, under 

 proper conditions, is as dangerous for weeks together 

 to the former, as it would be to leave off a flannel waist- 

 coat to the latter. I trust some ingenious person will 

 be able to contrive, by a simple and inexpensive piece 

 of mechanism, to keep the air in a state of circulation 

 when hres are necessary, and all apertures closed. A 

 smal agent would have a wide effect, but the action 



Kcomnh-S'lS "f WeH ,f S day , ; Mld Sh0uld Jt wee l"»S to the ground, ana is maK„. s .-r~ d * 



in vriii ira, ?r Wl11 ' , n 2 d ° Ubt ' P UDlish h l am aware that the use of the knife is condone 

 of muWtaS KSi P "^ and Reserve the thanks unnatural ; and I am told that glorious ■»«*»£, 

 froTsZt^fjLZ- CmaS , ^ huDdred P ,ants ' 8 rown pruned in the free forest. But , reine® 

 '^teSS pT"; * n A r U £ r . **"««■• 'that has been their youth. Reared amongst .« 

 ♦w i u \ m "— Perh ^P? . ll 1S ™t sufficiently known ' jungle of competitors; the ti 



ear or t* 



3S€D 



9 you win «"~ "hVher *?> 

 has thrown out strong lateral branches ni ^ eadwa y. 

 weeping to the ground, and is making rapi a e( j* 



was,* 



^^\f^^nl\^ ^ V sh ^ ld ^ conse ^ntly, I headed his contemporaries, and then was able to ^ 



and the novel apphcation of an air-tight m^dlie | T^^^ **» ^oots, which overshadowed and ^^^ 



^x neighbours. Growing stronger and strong > 



As you despair of seeing the Royal Water 



